Willowdale is ground zero for the 海角社区官网election debate over how to help people escape homelessness, how to ensure young residents aren鈥檛 priced out of the city, and how to ease pressures from relentless condo construction.
鈥淚n this ward, the biggest concern comes back to housing in one form or another,鈥 says , among battling to succeed retiring Coun. John Filion as Willowdale鈥檚 voice at city hall after the Oct. 24 vote.
A swath of treed green space on Cummer Avenue east of Yonge Street seems an unlikely flashpoint pitting residents and city council candidates against each other in what could be the city鈥檚 most competitive city council race.
With Filion鈥檚 backing, city council approved 175 Cummer as the site for a three-storey complex with, the city says, 鈥59 new permanent supportive homes for older adults and seniors who are experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness.鈥
Those who choose to pay rent and make it their permanent home will have access to staff on-site who can 鈥渃onnect residents to a range of supports provided by the building鈥檚 experienced non-profit housing operator.鈥
A city request for Premier Doug Ford鈥檚 housing-focused government to fast-track site approvals failed amid opposition from PC MPP Stan Cho and , including some in an adjacent 海角社区官网Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) building.
O鈥橞rien Fehr, Filion鈥檚 chief of staff for the past decade, acknowledges taking heat at some doorsteps over his full support for the Cummer site as it goes through the regular rezoning process that will include challenges from opponents.
鈥淭hese vulnerable people need somewhere safe to live and city staff determined this is the best site,鈥 he says, adding he understands fears over community safety, anger at the loss of green space and community demands for more consultation.
鈥淚t鈥檚 incumbent on the city, and for myself if elected as councillor, to listen to concerns and ensure this project succeeds as best it can, because it will be a beacon that other neighbourhoods will point to.鈥
A man answering O鈥橞rien Fehr鈥檚 knock emerges from a luxury house and tells him, unprompted, while waving in the direction of the Cummer site: 鈥淭his is a nice street. Nobody is in favour of those people.鈥
Down the road, Harry Ort, out working on his own well-appointed home, scoffs at such concerns. He says he heard them all during a fight to get approvals for another affordable housing complex on Cummer that opened in 2007.
鈥淭he ratepayers鈥 group made the same arguments: 鈥業t鈥檚 going to ruin the neighbourhood, the crime rate鈥檚 going up, it won鈥檛 be safe to walk the street鈥 鈥 all BS,鈥 the church group member says. 鈥淲e鈥檝e had some difficult clients but we managed that. You work through it.鈥
Lily Cheng, running for city councillor in Ward 18 Willowdale, says the Cummer Avenue supportive housing plan is part of a larger problem. “We’ve become a very disconnected and disengaged community,” she says.
David Rider/海角社区官网Star, who lost to Filion in the 2018 election and is hoping to win this time, sees city council鈥檚 Cummer decision as part of a bigger problem.
鈥淲e鈥檝e become a very disconnected and disengaged community,鈥 she says. 鈥淪o people don鈥檛 know what鈥檚 happening. They鈥檙e just trying to survive. And in their heart of hearts, they hope that the government has their best interest, but they鈥檙e not sure that really is happening,鈥
She鈥檚 the executive director of NeighbourLink North York (she鈥檚 not taking a salary while she runs), a non-profit that supports people living in poverty and who lack resources. She is also founder of the popular Facebook group.
She says 59 鈥渃omplex鈥 people in one place is too many. She cites fears from seniors about living next to people who might have mental illness or addiction issues. She says 10 residents might be OK, but only if the TCHC seniors agree.
Cheng points to warnings against housing too many very low-income people together, and suggests Cummer could see significant crime like that she believes is linked to a supportive housing site on Macey Avenue in Scarborough.
鈥淵ou have a person with a gun, person with knives, assaults, robbery 鈥 these are intense things,鈥 she says. As evidence she shows screenshots forwarded by a resident who says they are logs of police calls to the vicinity.
Kegan Harris, housing development director for the charitable organization that operates the building on Macey, rejects Cheng鈥檚 assertion that an unusual number of violent crime calls are linked to the residents exiting homelessness.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 believe any unusual occurrences or issues have occurred recently that would trigger a frequent police presence,鈥 Harris said in an email. 鈥淲e also don鈥檛 think their presence is higher than the other buildings in the community.鈥
Most calls or police presence are 鈥渄ue to 911 EMS emergency calls. The staff has built the resources and knowledge to de-escalate situations. Calling 911 for non-medical emergencies continues to be the last option,鈥 Harris wrote.
Abi Bond, executive director of the city鈥檚 housing secretariat, told the Star, residents of modular supportive homes do not pose a greater risk to community safety than other community members.
Daniel Lee, also hoping to succeed John Filion as councillor in Ward 18 Willowdale, says if elected he will try to get the Cummer project moved to another site.“We should listen to the neighbourhood,” he says.
David Rider/海角社区官网Star鈥淲e do not anticipate any increased community safety issues in the neighbourhood as a result of the new residents who will live at 175 Cummer Ave. or other modular housing projects,鈥 Bond said.
, a pharmacist and former federal Conservative candidate whose candidacy is endorsed by Ward 6 Coun. James Pasternak, is promising, if elected, to try to get the project moved to another site.
鈥淲e should listen to the neighbourhood, who is going to be impacted, especially the seniors,鈥 near 175 Cummer, Lee says, arguing the city has not been forthcoming with its list of rejected sites that he wants to examine.
Elham Shahban, also registered as a candidate in Willowdale, did not answer the Star鈥檚 inquiries.
It seems unlikely any new Willowdale councillor could, on their own, halt the project. Council has approved it and Mayor John Tory, who is seeking re-election and has endorsed O鈥橞rien Fehr鈥檚 candidacy, is forcefully arguing for the need for such projects across Toronto, including Willowdale.
In either Cheng or O鈥橞rien Fehr, Tory would gain an ally in his support for council legalizing and regulating rooming houses citywide. The proposal was punted to next term amid opposition from councillors including Filion.
Lee鈥檚 campaign did not respond to a request for his position on that issue.
They all say they would try to improve city services that haven鈥檛 kept up with the dizzying condo development likely only to increase as the Ontario government prioritizes housing construction around transit corridors.
Accommodating growth could be tougher next council term under a new provincial system that could cut developer payments by 40 per cent, according to the city.
It鈥檚 unclear what鈥檚 hitting the right note with residents in a civic vote that seems like a referendum on housing. But it is clear that, after a bruising pandemic, some people are not engaged in politics while others are fed up with it.
鈥淲hat makes you angry?鈥 Cheng, out canvassing, asks a senior citizen. The tiny woman, without missing a beat, replies: 鈥淓verything!鈥
Clarification 鈥 Oct. 5, 2022: This article has been updated to clarify that Lily Cheng is the executive director of NeighbourLink North York, a non-profit that supports people living in poverty and who lack resources.
Correction 鈥 Sept. 26, 2022: This article has been updated to correct the spelling of Markus O鈥橞rien Fehr鈥檚 name.
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